A Marauder's Guide to Falling in Love

Chapter Four

The weekend of the Hogsmeade visit approached quite quickly and Marlene was overwhelmed with excitement at the prospect of focusing her attention on things other than her studies. Even Lily had expressed her excitement to visit Honey Dukes and stock up on her dwindling supply of chocolate frogs.

"School is great," she had exclaimed that morning, "but there is just something much more enticing about grabbing a butter beer and not having to worry about which essay is due this week."

It was relaxing to say the least that Lily had finally settled into a comfortable routine, and was well ahead of her studies. Mary had decided to spend the day with Davy, and both Lily and Marlene had bid her goodbye in the dormitories as she opted to skip breakfast to sleep in a little longer.

"No doubt those two will end up at Madam Puddifoots," Lily smiled knowingly, and Marlene couldn't help but laugh in agreement.

"I doubt we will see her until supper."

The Marauders were already in the great hall eating breakfast when they arrived, and Marlene settled in the seat next to Remus to help herself to some hash browns and toast.

They had been engrossed in what appeared to be a very dramatic plan to hex Severus Snape in Hogsmeade, but they were quick to change the topic when they noticed Lily's disapproving glare.

"So," she mused simply. "What do you boys have planned for the afternoon?"

It was sort of an odd sight seeing Lily speaking with voluntary politeness to the boys, but James had been exceptionally well behaved in the recent weeks and Lily seemed to be more tolerable of his presence.

James and Sirius looked between each other mischievously and offered her some lame excuses involving visiting Zonko's and grabbing a butter beer.

Although Marlene assumed that they had every intention of doing such activities, she should have known better than to guess that they would share their infamous secret plans to play-by-the-rules Lily Evans.

Lily raised her brows questioningly as if she too doubted the sincerity to their answer, but she did not say anything further.

Marlene's attitude was challenged when the daily mail arrived in a flurry of brown, grey, and white. At least a hundred owls came soaring in dropping the same larger than average rectangular manila envelope in their owners laps.

There was a brief moment of awestruck silence at the sheer collaboration of colour before the hall increasingly became more aware that they were not delivering good news.

There were a few hysterical outbursts from somewhere at the Hufflepuff table followed closely by shrieking from the Ravenclaws, and even some hysteria surmounted somewhere a few seats down from Marlene. In a mere matter of moments it became mass chaos as the great hall erupted into pure panic; half of the students not quite sure what had just transpired, while the other half seemed to be in complete distress.

The professors were rushing around collecting various students, some of which had fallen to the ground sobbing manically, and Sirius managed to snatch up one of the letters that had fallen to the ground feet away from their table.

"Dear Miss Prewett," he began reading aloud to whoever was in earshot of him. "We regret to inform you of the impending attack of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named that occurred promptly at six o'clock this morning in the southern quarter of London."

Sirius's face went pale and he stopped reading out loud. His grey eyes moved speedily down the rest of the page and they began to harbor such a strong horror stuck emotion that Marlene was almost thankful he had stopped reading.